"Pittsburgh's Black and Gold" is the resurrection of a magazine that was first published in the late 70s, and ended after only a five year run. Today, nearly 30 years later and in a totally new medium, it is once again being published by Angelo Spagnolo, a lifelong Pittsburgher and avid sports fan of all teams "Black and Gold". This site is a tribute to Pittsburgh, where the home teams all wear the same uniform colors. "It's a hard-drinkin' town with an all Pittsburgh sports problem!!!"

Friday, January 16, 2009

This anonymous email was first circulated in 2005. It's back now and once again making the rounds. We've jazzed it up a bit and are publishing this for all of you displaced Steeler fans around the country who wish you were here for the big game Sunday. We wish you were here too!!!

SO What' s the big deal about Steeler football you ask?

Being a Steeler fan means so much more than football.It means being from a corner of the world unlike any other.It means being from a place where the people are so tough -minded that they have survived the Homestead strikes, the Johnstown flood and most recently the Etna Floods.

Above: Pittsburgh, the city we all love. Among the most beautiful cities in the world.

These people have the DNA of hard work, in mills and mines , without the necessity of complaint.They live simply, with no frills. They don' t live like movie stars or drive fancy cars. Instead, they have simple traditions like kielbasa and Kennywood Park.

Above: View of Heinz Field from Mt. Washington, high above Pittsburgh. If you've never had a chance to visit Pittsburgh, put it on your "bucket list". It's a "must see". But we live here and we already know that.

They live in distinctive neighborhoods like Polish Hill, Mt. Washington and the Hill District and all of the surrounding counties. These people are genuine.They don' t have chic internet cafes and cappuccinos, but they do have "The Original Hot Dog" joint , Eat n' Park and Iron City Beer. People from Pittsburgh don' t have sunny beaches or fancy boats , but the rivers roll gently, connecting the small towns of people whose histories have been built on strength and humility.

People from Pittsburgh don' t have the biggest malls or the best night clubs , but they' ll take Friday night high school football and Steeler Sunday over anything else. Steeler football means so much more than you think .It symbolizes generations who had the best childhood they could imagine.They ran free without a care or concern in the valleys of those Allegheny Mountains. Their blue collar world was easy ... there was no one to tell them that they lacked material things. There was no one to tell them that they needed to have more.

As the steel mills closed and the jobs disappeared, some of these people had to leave. While the world benefits because they spread their Pittsburgh values, they long for their home where things were simpler and more pure.They teach their kids about Jack Lambert and Joe Green in the hopes of imparting not just the knowledge, but the feeling that they represented.They are every where, those Terrible Towels. They wave, not just for the team, but for the hearts they left behind.They wave in living rooms in Fort Lauderdale and in the bars of D.C. They wave all the way to the Seattle Superdome! They wave for the Rooney family, whose values mirror our own loyalty, grit, and humility. They wave for football players like Jerome Bettis and Hines Ward, whose unselfishness and toughness have allowed sports to be about the game and the team.

Make no mistake that Steeler football is not just about football.I could not be prouder to be from the Pittsburgh area than I am right now! ! Even if you no longer live here, you have Western Pennsylvania in your blood no matter where you go. And deep down in your heart of hearts, you can still hear the Super Bowls of times past, the excitement in every one' s voices especially our fathers, cousins, and anyone else who gathered around the TV on Football Sundays!!

Above: Bill Cowher with Hines Ward.

The best part, its just as exciting right now if not more as it was back then ! It's not just about rivalries and who is better than the other. It's about family, tradition and roots! It's more than football, its football at its finest!! If you now live in San Diego, Colorado, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Florida, Iowa, Texas, California or any other place, be proud of where you were born and who your FIRST favorite football team is!! Go Steelers!!

Above: Steel Curtain member, the late Ernie Holmes.

Above: A sea of "Terrible Towels" awaits the Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee desecrated a towel recently and quickly exited the playoffs against the Ravens. Someday they'll learn.

"I hear you could scratch my back with a hacksaw!!!"

Mellon Arena

Another Pittsburgh Icon soon to be blown up. They should've made this into the "North Pole Casino". It would've been great!

Chuck Tanner Figurine

Quite possibly the worst sports likeness ever foisted upon the figurine-bobblehead collecting public

Pittsburgh Icon WITH HIS ICON

Waving The Icon He Created ! God Bless You Myron!

Help Spread The Word!

If you're a new reader of "Pittsburgh's Black and Gold" I'd love to hear your comments! You can either leave a comment on an individual article or email me directly if you have a story or link at: angelospagnolo66@hotmail.com. I hope you enjoy reading "Pittsburgh's Black and Gold" as much as I enjoy composing it!

Jack "Splat" Lambert

"Count Dracula In Cleats". I wonder how he feels about Hines Ward getting fined for hitting people too hard?

Maz Bobblehead

Doesn't Look Like Him at all.

"The Mendoza Line"

Baseball's Equivalent of the Worst Avid Golfer. I'd like to meet him, but it could cause a crack in the "space-time continuum".

"The Poison Brothers"

We Miss You Myron

About Me

I'm well known for my golf exploits as "America's Worst Avid Golfer" (Golf Digest Magazine, 1985). I took 66 strokes on the island hole at the TPC in Florida (losing 27 balls in the process) thus the 66 on my profile. For the whole gristly story: http://commodoreclub.org/administrative/257_for_18_holes.htm/

"Beat the Broncos...

DICK GROAT

Falling Below Mendoza Line

"P.B.& G." Editor brings another title home to Pittsburgh in 1985 as "Worst Avid Golfer". Click on the photo to see CBS' coverage!

Subscribe Now: poweredby

GOOGLE LINKS

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

PITTSBURGH PANORAMA

Here's another beautiful shot of one of the world's most picturesque cities.

WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT

"Pittsburgh's Black and Gold" is a regularly published blog site that is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the teams that it reports on (Steelers, Penguins, Pirates). All pictures are used here without prior permission. However, if we have used your picture and you would like us to take it down, we will gladly comply with your request. Our mission statement at "PB&G" is to provide an additional insight into all things Black & Gold both for current Pittsburgh residents and for those transplanted Pittsburghers who will always call "The 'Burgh" home.